Kira hid near a low wall outlining the house in front of Suki's, crouching behind Daichi as they watched the crowd approach in the pitch darkness.

  They held long rods and pitchforks, torches flickering in the wind as they highlighted in sharp detail the severity in the faces of the men.

  Then came the knock, and Suki answered the door. The first man in the troupe, a large and scary looking individual, shoved Suki aside and stomped inside the house. A few of his henchmen entered the house with him, and soon everyone else was following in.

  Daichi Clenched his fists at the mistreatment of his wife he just witnessed, but kept hiding.

  "Mama!" Finn came toddling out of the house on his little legs and clutched the leg of his mother as she righted herself and stood outside the house.

  The mob turned the furniture upside down, tore down the curtains and even broke some of the pots and adornments in the windows needlessly. They couldn't find her anywhere.

  The leader came back outside and got in Suki's face, frothing, "Where is she?"

  Suki and Finn recoiled at the aggression, their frames trembling.

  Kira held onto Daichi's hand as he almost got up and out of the place they had been hiding in out of anger.

  When he looked back at her, she loosened her hold. Daichi however got the messsage. He grit his teeth but sat back down.

  They both knew if he was caught assisting Kira in her escape, both Suki and Daichi would be held accountable.

  And neither of them wanted to say what they might do- what both feared they might do.

  And so they sat still, and watched as after questioning Suki some more, the men left.

  Suki was left shaking but safe. She raised her fearful but determnined eyes up and somehow, looked straight ahead at where Daichi and Kira were hiding.

  Her gaze found her husband's and she nodded. Daichi, who had been holding himself up like a spring, immediately lowered his shoulders in relief.

  Taking another deep breath, he turned to Kira, "Let's go."

  They got up and ran in the opposite direction from where the mob had gone, parralel to the lanes they had seen them take. Ducking, and looking back, they crossed a few houses where the mob have evidently already searched.

  At first it was easy. They went everywhere as a group. Now...they were everywhere.

  "-has she gone?! ???????? ?????? ??????????!" Kira was pulled back just in time by Daichi, her back hitting a tree as he motioned her to keep quiet.

  She did not have time to marvel at how quickly she had mastered a foreign language when her previous attempt had failed miserably as she thought on the implication of the words.

  Atleast, she thought he said demon. She didn't think they had a word for witch yet.

  'Maybe they can call it Kira', she thought grimly, chuckling in bewilderment.

  She could only guess how unhinged she looked- eyes wide in terror, a deranged laugh, and hands clutching the tree for life. It must have been terrifying for Daichi shook her back to herself.

  Kira shrugged off his restraining hands as she peaked around to where a few of the men had separated in their search. She drew herself back in, resting against the tree as she took a moment to ground herself.

  There was no way out. The villagers were all over the place...searching every house and every nook. After everything that she had fought for, that she had survived...

  She couldn't believe it had not even been a half hour since she arrived at the house with Suki and Finn, since she was forced to run around the village...

  "????????'???? ????????????."

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  ???????? ?????? ????????????'?? ???????????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????????????, ??????????, ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ????????????????????. ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????? ?????? ????????????????????, ???? ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????????.

  "??????'?? ?????????????"

  ????????, ??????????????, ????????'??. ???? ?????????? ?????? ????????'?? ???????? ????.

  ???? ???????? ????????????, ???????? ?????????????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??????????.

  "?? ?????????????? ???????? ??????????, ?????? ???????? ???????? ??????????...?????? ???????? ???????? ????????????...?????? ????????...????????..." ???? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ????????'?? ??????????????????, ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ????????.

  ???????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ????????????, ?????? ?????????? ??????????????, ?????????????? ????????. ???????? ?????? ???????? ????????, ?????? ?????????? ?????? ??????, ????????????????????.

  "????????????, ???????????? ????. ??????'?? ?????????????"

  ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ????????, ???? ??????????????, "?????? ??????????????????," ???????? ?????? ???????????????? ??????????, ???? ??????????????????, "?????? ????????. ????????'???? ???????????? ?????? ????????."

  "?????????" ???????? ???????????? ???????? ????????????????, ????????????, "??????? ???????? ???? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????" ?????? ???????????????? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ????????.

  ?????? ????????'?? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ??????????????...

  ???????????? ???????????? ???? ????????, ???????????? ?????? ?? ?????????????? ???? ??????????????????????????.

  "???????? ?????? ???????? ????????????????, ????????..."

  "???????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???????!" ????????????????, ?????? ???????? ?? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????????????, "???? ?????? ???????? ????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ???????????????? ????...????..."

  ?????? ????????????'?? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????????. ?????? ????????'?? ???????? ????.

  ???????????? ????????'?? ?????? ????????????????. ???? ???????????? ???? ?????? ????????????. ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ??????????.

  ?????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ????????, ???????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????????????????????? ?????? ??????????. ???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????????. ???? ???????????? ???? ????????.

  "?????? ???????? ?????? ??????, ??????..."

  ???? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ????????, "?? ????????, ????????. ?? ????????."

  ???????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ????????, ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????.

  "???? ??????'?? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??????, ??????..." ???????? ????????????, ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????'?? ??????????. "????????, ??????...????????...???? ??????'??."

  "????????..." ???? ???????????????? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ??????, ?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ??????????????????, ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????????????????, "????????"

  ????????, ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ??????????????????, ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????- ??????????????????. ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ????, ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ????????????.

  ???? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ????????????????.

  ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ????????????????. ?????????? ???????? ?? ?????? ??????????-?????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ??????????????, ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ????????.

  ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ??????, ?????? ?????? ????????????'?? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ????????. ?????? ????????????'?? ???????? ?????? ????????????, ?????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????? ????.

  ?????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????????. ?????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????????? ????????????.

  ?????? ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????. ???? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ??????.

  ?????????? ?????????? ??????'?? ???? ?? ??????????????...

  "????????. ????????." ???? ?????? ????????????. ???? ?????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ????????, ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ??????????????.

  "....????..." ???????? ???????? ??????????, ?????? ???????? ????????????.

  ???? ???????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????????, ??????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ????...

  ...???? ????????????'?? ???????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????, ?????????? ?????

  "???? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????????, ????????????????????, ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????." ????????????, ???? ???????????? ???? ?? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ????????????, ???????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ???????? ???? ??????, ?????????????? ???? ??????.

  ?????? ???????? ?????? ????????, ????????????????.

  "??????'?? ????." ?????????????????????????? ?????????? ???? ????????????'?? ????????.

  Her mind brought her back to the present. No, this was not how she would give up. Also, it was no time to daydream!

  She slapped her face, much to her guide's incredulity.

  The fire which had kept her alive all these years clearly shone on her face. Kira knew it, could feel it burn through her.

  "I have a plan."